Application software, also known as an application or an “app”, is computer software designed to help the user to perform specific tasks. Examples include enterprise software, accounting software, office suites, graphics software and media and game players. Apps may be bundled with the computer and its system software, or may be published separately. Many apps, indeed in the hundreds or thousands, are available to users of so-called smart phones or other forms of handsets, tablet and desktop computers, internet browsers, etc, and may now be, or may soon become available on suitably connected televisions or other visual display appliances. The apps are supplied by third party programmers and made available to users via the internet or otherwise by browsing, streaming or download, sometimes from what is referred to as an “app store”, that is, a virtual store or warehouse providing apps for purchase. Some app stores, or suppliers of handsets or other mobile devices, screen the apps before making them available to users. Other suppliers do not.
What is needed, and which it is an object of the present invention to provide, is to simplify a user's task in reviewing and finding useful new apps by the provision of an app that assists third parties in organizing and displaying on a carousel app icons grouped by subject matter or theme in common. Advantageously, app reviews may also be provided to assist a user browsing for apps. In other words, the problem that is solved is app discovery; namely the technical problem solved is that presently the consumer must navigate a lot of apps in an app store to identify apps that are desired or otherwise relevant to them.
In one aspect of the present invention the online social networks, app supplier content managers, and bloggers review and recommend apps such that the consumer does not have to search and download apps all the time to find the useful ones.
In the prior art applicant is aware of the following United States patents; namely:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,485,197 which issued Jan. 6, 1996, to Hoarty for a Carousel Display discloses an interactive television system having means for displaying a “carousel” to allow the user to make a menu selection. As disclosed, the carousel displays a plurality of menu items on each face of the carousel. The carousel rotates about a single central vertical axis.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,515,486 which issued May 7, 1996, to Amro et al for a Multi-Axis Rotatable Display discloses a graphical user interface in the form of a polyhedron display container. Each face of the polyhedron contains icons associated with an application and “workspace switches” which allow the user to switch between active applications. The central front panel of the polyhedron is the active panel. The user may select a new face of the polyhedron to be the active panel. In doing so, the polyhedron rotates a band of faces about a vertical, horizontal or diagonal axis to provide a new central active panel.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,016,145 which issued Jan. 18, 2000, to Horvitz et al for a Method and Apparatus for Transforming the Geometrical Shape of a Computer Display Window discloses a graphical user interface that displays multiple windows within a plurality of planes. The planes in the preferred embodiment represent the walls, floor and ceiling of a room. Windows may be moved between planes and are resized and reshaped accordingly. For example, a window on the back wall will appear smaller than a window on the front wall. Windows are tiled or stacked over other windows that may occupy the same plane. Thus the windows are “hung” upon a plane, that is, upon a wall of the room.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,013,435 which issued Mar. 14, 2006, to Gallo et at for a Three Dimensional Spatial User Interface For A Computing Device discloses a user interface which appears three dimensional and which is projected onto a two-dimensional display. The user interface includes a plurality of portals containing content, and a plurality of sensory cues. The plurality of portals are arranged in a three dimensional graphical representation such as a sphere for display to a user. For each of the portals, an application permits user interaction with the content contained therein. A sensory cue is displayed in each portal that provides a cue to the content contained therein. The user interface is adapted to change, based on the content contained in one or more portals of the user interface. One or more geometric properties of the portals change dynamically, so that the graphical representation displayed to the user is changed. The changes include changes to the shape of the user interface, the shape of one or more portals or the arrangement of portals of the user interface.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,335,737 which issued Jan. 1, 2002, to Grossman et al for a Video Display and Selection on a Graphical Interface discloses a graphical depiction of a carousel containing the icons or windows. These icons or windows are rotated into or out of view as the carousel rotates. Rotation can be controlled by mouse driven cursor, keyboard, application software, etc. Various identifying characteristics can be used to help users search through windows; for example, the title text of each window may be visible when the windows are in the carousel. Color can be an additional identifying characteristic. In instances where a large number of icons are used, this is a means for consolidating them. Multiple carousels can be used to consolidate different kinds of windows, icons, or TV broadcasts.
U.S. published patent application US 2009/0204929 A1, published Aug. 13, 2009, for the application of Baurmann et al, and entitled Favorite GUI for TV, discloses a carousel type of display for displaying icons representing user-defined favorites that is overlaid on the current background video of the television. The center-most icon is enlarged and displays the current video being viewed. Other icons can represent photos, music files, games, etc. The icons are displayed in a horizontal line and are revolvable. Live video is displayed in icons representing television channels.
U.S. published patent application US 2009/0172090 A1, published Jul. 2, 2009, for the application of Lit, and entitled Information Display System and Method, discloses a system and method for displaying graphics, text, animation, video and other content. In one embodiment of the invention, the system comprises a three-dimensional “Display Carousel” system. The system may include one or more display windows, each of which is capable of displaying different content. The configuration of the windows may give the appearance of rotating like a carousel and also of the carousel and/or images being three-dimensional. Other features of the invention may include functionality which permits the uploading and downloading of content, statistical data gathering, and revenue generation.